As of today 11/11/2018, Hana the brindle Hokkaido girl is 10.5 weeks old and ready to go to her permanent home via Hokusei Kashinoki. Local homes preferred but not required. She is chipped, first vaccines given, dewormed, crate training underway, and sleeping through the night. She is a smaller girl but she is beautiful with lots of personality. Send inquiries to masakadoshiba@hotmail.com

2017 is coming to a close and has seen several exciting developments for the breed in the states. Firstly, as a group, several club members made an epic unforgettable trip to Japan during the Cherry Blossom time in April, and met up with Mr. Shigeru Kato of Japan Dog Export at his home in Chiba near Tokyo (his blog is here http://nihonken.blogspot.com/ ).

There we were able to meet and bring home the two red Hokkaido puppies he had advertised earlier. They are WONDERFUL breed examples and we have named them Miki (or Miko as her family calls her) and her brother is Ashitaka (or Ashi-Smashy as he is known at home).

Shortly after we returned, Claire at Kaiju Kennels imported a pretty sesame girl named Minira from Hungary, to California. Minira was recently bred to Kuma and is expecting, so it is with great anticipation that we await the second Hokkaido litter to be born in North America which should be due sometime in early December.

Umma (from the first litter with Genko x Yezo as parents) moved to Portland where she has her own blog with a Shiba sibling: Everyday Hokkaido. Every potential or interested owner needs to read it. She was bred earlier in the year but the breeding did not take. With any luck, we will be able to complete her health testing and breed her to Ashi when she is next in heat.

Kurasi, Umma’s fruitbat sister with the brindle mustache, has also moved north to Portland and lives with CJ and her Kishu family at Akiyama no Roushya. Kurasi is also slated to be bred when she is next in heat which should occur around December. We think Ashi would also be a good mate for her.

Miko is also living in Portland with her co-owners and is a wonderfully sweet and easy going Hokkaido girl. Her brother Ashi now lives in Puyallup with co-owners after his world tour brought him from Tokyo to California to Ohio to Washington. Everyone in the club has high hopes for these two kids as they come from very nice show lines and are very well put together dogs. They offer significant improvements on several key items the current Hokkaido population is working on.

Lastly, the club has been working on a new webpage and transitioning secretarial duties. Emails sent to info@hokkaidoken.org may not be quickly answered so it is best to send puppy inquiries to individual breeders, which are listed here: https://hokkaidousa.wordpress.com/hokkaido-breeders/

There are some very nice Hokkaido puppies from a litter in Japan for sale. I am traveling to Tokyo with a group and will be able to bring one or both back with me to the states in April, with stops in LA area and then Seattle. Two red girls are available still. There would be a significant savings on shipping fees (often $1500 for live cargo back from Japan!) Co-ownership would be ideal for breeding purposes and I could negotiate on sharing cost of import to the right home. Please let me know if you are interested and I can get more information for you.

There is 1 more puppy reservation spot available for the Hokusei Kashinoki “B” litter with anticipated pick up time in Fall 2017. Parents will be Umma and Kuma. The “C” and “D” litters are also being planned. In preparation for upcoming breedings, a planned import, planned health tests and breeding fees (parents are on opposite ends of the country), the club is again accepting donations to offset travel to https://www.paypal.me/Hokkaido

Genetic Testing: the Hokkaido club is submitting DNA samples for a gene study sponsored by Mars Veterinary. We have been offered a limited number of free testing kits and encourage any owners near or far to contact the club if you wish to be sent testing kits to use on your Hokkaido. Ideally we want dogs from North America, but lines related to our dogs domestically should also be represented internationally. Please send a request with your name, dogs info, and a mailing address to info@hokkaidoken.org if you wish to participate.

An update we have been eagerly waiting to announce: a wonderful home came to meet Genko and they all fell in love with each other immediately. Genko is now living close by with her very own people and their child, and very much in heaven by all accounts. She is a wonderful house pet and she so deserved this after having so much instability in her life just before moving to Washington. Her OFAs are also now available and her DNA is submitted to Optimal Selection. To keep up to date on Genko’s adventures, she has her own Instagram at helloimgenkohttps://www.instagram.com/helloimgenko/

Lastly, one of Genko’s sons, brindle boy Genji (Genjiro go Hokusei Kashinoki) is now collected and stored with ICSB, and we plan to collect his nice white brother Teddy to keep on hand for future use as well with compatible club females. Genji’s OFAs and gene testing are scheduled, and plans are underway for Teddy’s evaluation as well. Results will be shared here when available.

Spring 2017 litter planned from Hokusei Kennel of Umma (brindle) and Kuma (red). Waitlist has some openings still. Preference given to homes within driving distance of Washington, with dog experience, who share the mission of establishing the breed in North America. Deposits and contract required. Please send inquiries to masakadoshiba@hotmail.com, http://www.masakadoshiba.wordpress.com

Please email info@hokkaidoken.org with inquiries, or phone 253.278.1169 if interested in a young adult female Hokkaido. Fully house trained, excellent with adults and children, well socialized to dogs, leash trained and crate trained. Current on vaccines and will be spayed prior to placement. Dog experienced homes in Western Washington preferred. Reduced rehoming fee.

Happy Holidays to all, especially those who have made donations towards the care of the Hokkaido. Please send me a mailing address if you have made a donation so I can send a “thank you”, and include your address with any future donations. With the holidays here, I have updated our Hokkaido Club Wishlist, and have a litter planned for 2016 so am getting prepped for that. Any item donation is much appreciated:

A huge thanks to Val for the wonderful gift of Ruffwear gear for Genko and Umma!

I am going through chewies, bones, Kongs and treat toys left and right to keep the puppies occupied on these rainy days. We could definitely use more. I look forward to spring litters from now on!

The last few weeks have been a journey, as you may imagine life with 4 Hokkaido puppies may be, especially over the holidays. They are 15 weeks old and hitting their milestones, with the two black brindle sisters just a few days from their big adventure on an airplane to their various destinations, and brother Retar waiting for the New Year to join his new home in Portland.

Umma is a doll and she is an easy going puppy who is good being confined, easy to handle, content, and agreeable with everyone. She is also very quiet aside from brief happy howling moments. This is her puppy collar from Knine Couture http://www.kninecouture.com/

Puppies have been accident free overnight and are doing great on crate training overall and leash/collar training. They are still great for nails and baths. Their Vet visits have been unremarkable. I had them all microchipped and they have most of their vaccines. No hernias, healthy eyes, good bites, good knees and hips, good hearts, testicles present on the boys, and no abnormalities.

Kurasi at the Vet this week.

Kunne at the Vet getting her Health Certificate.

Retar

The black brindle girls a few weeks ago with their doggy grandma on a cold winter day.

After the blow dry at the groomer, not their favorite but they survived.

Umma all spic and span (and a little worried but not terribly so).

Their momma Genko is enjoying her new life here with her Shiba family. They share the couch, playtime, chewies and walkies together, even with the other girls, which is a total bonus. She has officially integrated and loves going on pack walks and outings to the dog stores, even to the dog shows to do her health tests. She is just an agreeable dog (not perfect, but a good dog all the same). Being in a stable environment with structure and schedule has really helped her settle in.

A blurry group photo as they wait to come inside for their homemade dinner.

Apologies for the lack of good quality photos and video. The only camera I have on hand is on my cell phone.